Fire-escape



(No Model.)

L. J. GOTT.

' FIRE ESCAPE. No. 352,463. Patented Nov. 9, 1886.

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cated the flat spring 0, made substantiallylike UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAURA JANES GOTT, OF LA GRANGE, OHIO.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

$PECIFICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No.352,463; dated November 9, 1886. i g

Application filed May 13, 1856. Serial No. 202,126. N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAURA JANES GOTT, of La Grange,'in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description'of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes, and is designed more especially as an improvement on a device for which Letters Patent of the United States No. 295,631 were granted to me March 25, 1884.

In my former device, patented as aforesaid, a shaft with hand-cranks attached was jour naled in a frame, and a flat spring was coiled close around the shaft in its normal position, and tension of the spring was had by uncoil ing it. The free end of the spring was attached to the building, and a person by stepping from the frame could, by means of the crank, lower himself to the ground, of course uncoiling the spring in so doing. The spring in recoiling wound itself upon the shaft and elevated the frame to the starting-point. In practice it was found to be expensive and difficult to procure suitable springs on account, mainly, of the impracticability of tempering the spring when closely coiled. I have therefore improved the device by arranging the spring to act like an ordinary clock-spring that is to say, the spring in its normal position is loosely coiled and is given tension by closely coiling the same.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the spring cylinder or drum, portions of the removable head being broken away to show the construction.

A frame is provided consisting of crosspieces A A and upright side pieces, A. As it is desirable to have the frame as light as possible and at the same time have sufficientstiffness the frame is preferably made of small thin metal tubing. Upon the cross-piece A is journaled the cylinder or drum B, the same being held in a central position on the crosspiece by collars a. Inside the cylinder is 10- an ordinary clock-spring, except, of course, that it may be longer, broader, and thicker than the spring for ordinary clocks. The inner end of the spring is secured to the crossbar A, that, as aforesaid, serves as an axle for the cylinder, and the outerend of the spring is secured to the inner periphery of the cylinder. The normal position of the springis uncoiled, or rather coiled loosely, substantially the same as a clock-spring when the clock is run down. The spring is coiled or given tension by revolving the cylinder in the direction of the arrow.

Around the outer periphery of the drum or cylinder, and located in the center thereof lengthwise, is wound the strap D, the inner end of which is secured to the drum and the free end thereof is secured to the building above. The strap is preferably of very thin metal, so thin that it is quite flexible. The strap, as shown, is wound in the direction on the cylinder that by unwinding the strap re volves the cylinder in the direction to wind up the spring, and consequently the recoil of the spring will revolve the drum in the direction that winds up the strap and elevates the frame. The free end of the strap is provided with a loop, d, or other suitable device for attaching to a hook or. other support connected with the building. has a loop or staple, a, atttached, through which the strap passes loosely.

The cross-bar A" E is a. cross-piece, preferably of tubing, on

which the person stands in making the descent. The cross-piece is made to embrace and slide easily on the side pieces, A Brakeblocks e are attached to the cross-piece E in position to engage the periphery of the cylinder on either side of the strap D.

Below the cross-piece E, collars a are secured to the side pieces, A and between the collars and the crosspiece E are arranged coiled springs e, for elevating thecross-piece E and separating the brakes from the drum. As the brake-blocks need not be elevated more than a sixteenth of an inch toclear the drum, the springs 6 may be short and light.

The frame should be made wide enough in the clear for placing the feet on the bar E on either side of the strap D, say ten inches,

more or less. The side pieces, A, should be long enough to bring the cross-piece A up at least to the hips or waist of the person standing on the crosspiece E, and as much higher: as may be preferred-for instance, as high as the shoulders or head, or even above the head, according to the judgment of the builder or purchaser. Making these side pieces longer or shorter only varies the weight of the device a few ounces, and varies the cost a few cents.

In Fig. 2 the spring 0 is shown closely coiled and the strap D unwound from the drum, which would be the. position of parts with the fire -escape at or near the ground. From this position the recoil or expansion of the spring 0 will rotate the drum and wind up the strap and elevate the fire-escape to the window or other place where it is designed to reach, and to where the strap may have been attached.

In using the fireescape a person grasps the cross-bar A and steps upon the cross-bar E. The weight of the person applies the brake and holds the drum stationary, and after the person is securelyin place he bears a portion of his weight on the cross-piece A, that he is grasping with his hands, and thus eases off on the brakes and allows the device to descend. The operator has full control of the fire-escape. If he finds that he is descending too fast, he has onlyto bear upon the brake more of his weight, and in addition to his full weight may even lift on the cross-bar A if he wishes to quickly check his speed.

Of course in descending the spring 0 is again coiled or wound up, and when the person steps off the spring 6 elevates the brakes, and the recoil of the spring 0 elevates the fire-escape to the starting-point. The strap D should be of suitable length to reach from the point where it is attached to the building to near the ground. The spring 0 when unooiled is still inside the drum, while the strap when coiled is outside the drum, from which it will be seen that the spring need not be more than a third or half of the length of the strap, and in this particular my new device is a great improvement over my old device aforesaid.

What I claim is 1. In a fire-escape, the combination, with a frame having foot-rests, a brake-carrying bar mounted on said frame, and adrum journaled on an axle connected with 01' forming a part of the frame, of aspring located inside the drum, said spring having its ends secured, respectively, to the drum and to the axle, a supporting-strap secured to the outer periphery of the drum, saidstrap being wound on the drum in such direction that the unwinding of the strap revolves the drum in the direction to wind up the spring. substantially as set forth.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination, with a frame, a drum journaled on a suitable axle connected with or forming a part of the frame, a spring, and a supporting-strap arranged substantially as indicated, of a cross-bar forming a foot-rest, said crossbar being made to slide on the frame, and brake-blocks attached to the foot-rest to engage the drum when the footrest is depressed, substantially as set forth.

3. In a fire-escape, the combination, with a frame, drum, spring, and supporting -strap arranged substantially as indicated, of a cross- 

